How Many Quadruple Doubles Has the NBA Seen?

The NBA has seen a total of 35 quadruple-doubles in its history. What is a quadruple-double and which players have achieved this impressive feat?

Introduction

The quadruple double is one of the most elusive statistical achievements in basketball. In order to record a quadruple double, a player must stuff the stat sheet in four different categories, recording double digits in each category. This rare feat has only been accomplished a handful of times in NBA history.

What is a Quadruple Double?

In basketball, a quadruple double is the accumulation of a double-digit number total in four of the five main statistical categories—points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks—in a game. Achieving a quadruple double has been accomplished only 21 times in the history of the National Basketball Association (NBA), 18 times since 1983–84, when blocks and steals were first recorded consistently. The most recent quadruple double was recorded by Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder on April 9, 2019. Westbrook’s line was 32 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists, and 10 steals.

Notable Quadruple Doubles in NBA History

The quadruple double is a very rare feat in the NBA, and has only been accomplished a handful of times. A quadruple double is when a player achieves double digits in four statistical categories in a single game. The first player to ever accomplish this was Nate Thurmond in 1974, and since then there have only been six other instances of it happening. Here are the most notable quadruple doubles in NBA history.

Oscar Robertson

Oscar Robertson is the only player in NBA history to average a triple double for an entire season. He did it in 1961-1962, averaging 30.8 points, 12.5 rebounds and 11.4 assists per game. He is also one of only two players to ever record a quadruple double, doing so against the Detroit Pistons in 1962.

Wilt Chamberlain

Wilt Chamberlain holds the record for the most quadruple-doubles in NBA history. He accomplished the feat a total of 11 times, including seven times in the 1968-69 season alone. Chamberlain’s career average of 22.9 points, 18.2 rebounds, 11.4 assists, and 2.4 blocks per game is the only stat line in NBA history that comes close to averaging a quadruple-double for an entire season.

Magic Johnson

On February 18, 1991, in a 138-93 victory over the Sacramento Kings, Johnson became the first player in NBA history to record a quadruple-double, with 18 points, 12 rebounds, 16 assists and 10 steals. He also added three blocks for good measure. It was the only quadruple-double in NBA history until Houston Rockets guard James Harden recorded one against the New York Knicks on January 16, 2018.

Russell Westbrook

In the 2016-2017 NBA season, Russell Westbrook made history by averaging a triple double for the season. This accomplishment had not been seen since Oscar Robertson did it in 1962. But Westbrook didn’t stop there. He also became the first player ever to record four quadruple doubles in a single season.

A quadruple double is when a player racks up double digits in four of the five standard statistical categories: points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. It’s an incredibly rare feat, and one that has only been accomplished 18 times in NBA history by 15 different players.

In addition to Westbrook, the other players who have achieved this remarkable feat are: David Robinson, Hakeem Olajuwon, Alvan Adams, Andrei Kirilenko, Shawn Kemp, Lonnie Shelton, Jerry Lucas, Alvin Robertson, Nate Thurmond, Wilt Chamberlain, Chris Webber and Derrick Coleman.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the NBA has seen a total of 53 quadruple doubles. 37 of those belong to Russell Westbrook, who achieved the feat a total of 37 times. The other 16 are spread out among 7 other players.